Panther Pride Newsletter

Panther Nation,

As summer begins to wind down, I hope everyone has had an enjoyable and restful break. Many of you have taken some well-deserved time to vacation with family and friends, celebrate our nation's 250th birthday, or enjoy the excitement of the FIFA World Cup. It seems that each year summer passes a little faster than the last, which is a sure sign that I'm getting older!

While students and families have been enjoying their time away, our outstanding custodial, maintenance, and summer staff have been hard at work preparing our buildings for the return of students and staff. Their dedication over the summer months helps ensure we are ready for another successful school year.

As many of you know, Norton City Schools has undergone significant changes since last year. Our district has implemented a major building reorganization, including the closure of Norton Primary School and the realignment of grade levels within our remaining buildings. Change always brings challenges, but I am confident in the planning that has taken place. Our administrative team and building principals have worked hard throughout the summer, and we are ready to welcome students back.

We are excited to welcome several new staff members to the Norton City Schools family. In addition, we are launching a new district initiative called No Tech Wednesday, which is designed to encourage students and staff to intentionally disconnect from technology and reconnect with learning, relationships, and personal well-being. You'll find more information about this initiative later in this newsletter.

Please enjoy these remaining days of summer with your family and friends. We look forward to welcoming our Preschool and students in grades 1–12 back on August 20, with our Kindergarten students beginning their school journey on August 26.

Thank you for your continued support of Norton City Schools. Together, we will make this an outstanding school year.

Go Panthers!

Bryan Farson, Superintendent

Norton City Schools

The district is excited to welcome two new members to our administrative team. These positions became available following recent resignations, and we are pleased to have filled them with outstanding individuals who are eager to begin serving our students, staff, and families.

Please join us in welcoming Sarah and Keziah to Panther Nation! We look forward to the leadership, dedication, and positive impact they will bring to Norton City Schools.

Greetings Panther Nation!

As a proud graduate of Norton City Schools, having attended every grade from Kindergarten through 12th, I am grateful for the opportunity to serve the very community that supported the foundations of my own educational journey. Some of my earliest memories include playing on the new rubber-packed playground at Norton Intermediate School after tires were donated following “The Fire”. I still remember the excitement of our grade school field trip to the old cider mill, watching apples being pressed into fresh cider, and the Apple Cider Festival. I recall marching on the “little field,” practicing for productions like Fiddler on the Roof, and I’ll never forget the pride we felt when we successfully lined The Norton Star. I grew up hearing the revving engines from the Barberton Speedway on clear nights, going to the Sparkle Market with my parents, and later making memories on the track while running in the Suburban League.

My professional career began in the Nordonia Hills City School District, where I spent 12 years teaching grades 4 and 5, building on the educational practices I developed after graduating from Ashland University. During those years, I learned how to establish a strong foundation in instructional practices, relationships with students and families, and collaborative teamwork. Continuing my educational journey, I earned a Master’s Degree in Educational Administration (Pre-Kindergarten through 9th grade) from the University of Akron, which led me to Akron Public Schools. I served as a building-level Support Administrator/Dean of Students for over a decade at APS, where I led PBIS Tier I and Tier II initiatives, helping our school earn the state’s PBIS Silver designation for 4 consecutive years. By leading our building’s attendance initiatives with a strong team, we made a 14% decrease in Chronic Absenteeism over 4 years, earning points on the State Report Card in Gap Closure. Mentoring new Support Administrators/Deans of Students has been one of the most meaningful parts of my work, and I am proud of the lasting relationships I’ve built with students, faculty, families, and community partners in Akron Public Schools. These experiences have shaped my commitment to creating positive, student-centered environments where everyone feels valued, seen, and heard.

This evolving Norton community has always been a great place to live, learn, grow, work, and retire. A place that has shaped me, continues to inspire me, and is focused on being "Committed to Excellence – One Student at a Time". I am truly privileged to start my 25th year as an educator in our school district as I step into this building exactly 30 years later. I look forward to making new memories while helping our students create meaningful ones of their own, in pursuit of educational excellence!

Returning to the Home of the Panthers,

Keziah (Sheppard) Steurer

Assistant Principal

Norton Middle School

NHS Class of ‘96

As we start the new school year, we are excited to launch a district-wide effort to help our students develop a more balanced relationship with technology while using their devices responsibly. Throughout the year, you will see new initiatives focused on promoting online safety, proper Chromebook care, and healthy screen habits. This includes "No Tech Wednesdays," where students put their devices aside one day a week at school for screen-free learning, and new limits on nighttime Chromebook usage (watch for details in your email soon). To complement these efforts at home, we will share brief monthly updates with practical tips and conversation starters you can use with your child. We look forward to partnering with you this year to help our students thrive both online and off!

Attached you will find the most recent edition of the Panther's Purse. This edition can also be found on the district webpage and social media forums to provide meaningful and easy to understand information about district finances and to address specific questions and items of interest. Panther's Purse took a brief summer PAWS (Panther pun intended), but it is back and we look forward to continuing to share information about the financial operations of the Norton City Schools in our commitment to transparency and fiscal responsibility.

Throughout the past year, Norton City Schools has shared updates about the district's financial outlook and the steps being taken to address long-term financial challenges. The Board of Education and district administration have worked to reduce expenses by making difficult decisions, including staffing reductions, reorganizing buildings, ending Open Enrollment beginning with the 2026–2027 school year, and implementing other cost-saving measures. While these efforts have helped reduce spending, they do not eliminate the district's need for additional operating revenue.

Earlier this year, the district placed a 0.75% earned income tax on the May 5, 2026 ballot. Although the issue did not pass, the district's financial needs remain. After reviewing the district's current financial outlook and five-year forecast, the Board of Education approved a final resolution in July to place the same 0.75% earned income tax before voters on the November General Election ballot.

As the Board of Education considers the district's financial future, it is important for the community to understand that Norton City Schools has already made significant efforts to operate efficiently. The district has the lowest per-pupil expenditures in Summit County, demonstrating a longstanding commitment to careful stewardship of taxpayer dollars. Because many efficiencies have already been implemented, additional budget reductions would become increasingly difficult without affecting the programs, services, and opportunities our students receive. Simply put, future cuts would move beyond reducing expenses and begin impacting the core of the educational experience. The district will continue to evaluate every dollar carefully, but additional revenue is necessary to maintain the level of educational services our community expects and our students deserve.

Placing the issue on the November ballot does not change the district's financial circumstances; rather, it gives the community another opportunity to consider the proposed funding request. As the election approaches, Norton City Schools will continue to provide factual information about the district's finances, the purpose of the ballot issue, and how an earned income tax operates under Ohio law.

We appreciate our community's continued interest in the future of Norton City Schools and encourage residents to stay informed by reading future editions of Panther's Purse, visiting the district's website, and attending Board of Education meetings.

Ohio's annual Sales Tax Holiday will take place Friday, August 7 through Sunday, August 9, 2026. Unlike last year's expanded holiday, this year's tax savings are limited to qualifying back-to-school purchases.

During the holiday, Ohio sales tax will not be charged on:

• Clothing priced at $75 or less per item
• School supplies priced at $20 or less per item
• School instructional materials priced at $20 or less per item

Qualifying items include shirts, pants, shoes, school uniforms, notebooks, folders, pencils, glue, lunch boxes, backpacks, basic calculators, textbooks, and workbooks.

Items not included in the tax holiday include electronics such as laptops and tablets, sports equipment, protective equipment, clothing accessories like jewelry and handbags, and taxable services such as haircuts.

Families are encouraged to take advantage of this opportunity to save on eligible back-to-school essentials before the new school year begins.

Events/Dates

• Senior Parking Space Painting - Monday, August 10 all day
• 8th Grade Orientation - Thursday, August 13 from 9-11am
• 9th Grade Orientation - Friday, August 14 from 9-11am
• Open House - Tuesday, August 18 from 5-7pm
• 1st Home Football Game - THURSDAY, August 20 @ 7pm (first day of school for students)

Start/End Times

• NHS start/end times remain unchanged. The tardy bell will ring at 7:20am and the school day will end at 2:20pm.

Welcome 8th Grade Team!

• NHS is proud to welcome the students and staff of the 8th grade team! As we embark upon a new and exciting time in our district, it is important to note the 8th grade experience will continue largely unchanged. Sure, it will be in a different building, but the commitment to allowing students to have an 8th grade experience separate from their freshmen-senior peers will remain. The DC trip, Reality Day, eating lunch separately from other grades, all will continue as part of the 8th grade team. We've even been able to add Spanish I for high school credit for the first time in almost twenty years in our district! We look forward to this new group entering Norton High School, and it all begins with 8th grade orientation on August 13!

Initiatives

• A reorganization of Panther Time will allow us to free up our math teachers to provide tutoring and extra help for students in need each day of the week except Monday. This will be extremely valuable as a means to provide interventions for students, tutoring opportunities for students who need to retest any math state test, test/quiz makeups, and allowing for future math interventions as they come. We have not been able to provide this level of math interventions since we began Panther Time exactly ten years ago.

Welcome back to Norton High School for the 2026-2027 school year! And welcome to our incoming 8th and 9th graders new to NHS. Please see the information below regarding morning drop off and afternoon pick up. With more students and families attending this August, we want all to be aware of morning and afternoon procedures. Our goal is to make traffic in and out of the high school as safe and efficient as possible. Please see the information provided regarding those drop off and pick up procedures.

Bus Morning Drop-off and Afternoon Pick-up Locations

We have two drop-off locations for students arriving by bus.

1) High School/Field House Driveway. Students dropped off at this location will exit their

buses and proceed into the building through the Athletic Entrance at the west end of the building. Students will wait in The Commons until the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

2) Performing Arts Door. Students dropped off at this location will exit their buses and

proceed along the sidewalk to the front of NHS and enter through the Main Entrance. Students will wait in the Commons for the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

We have four drop-off locations for students/parents arriving by car.

1) Arrival through the east driveway off Cleveland-Massillon Road. The drop-off

location for those arriving via Cleveland-Massillon Road will be in front of the building. Students may safely exit their vehicles at the curb directly in front of the building and enter through the Main Entrance. Students will wait in the Commons for the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

2) Arrival through the west entrance off Easton Road. The primary student drop-off

location for those arriving via Easton Road will be at the cross walk to the Main Entrance in front of the building. Students may safely exit their vehicles on the parking lot side, proceed to the crosswalk, monitored by a staff member or the school resource officer, and enter through the Main Entrance. Students will wait in the Commons for the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

3) Arrival through the west entrance off Easton Road. A second drop-off location will be

in the high school parking lot directly west of the Panther Statue. If students have projects or equipment to unload, this may be a better location. After drop-off, students will proceed to the crosswalk, monitored by a staff member or the school resource officer, and enter through the Main Entrance. Students will wait in the Commons for the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

4) Arrival through the west entrance off Easton Road. A third drop-off location will be

in the high school parking in front of the stadium entrance. After drop-off, students will proceed to the center walkway leading to the crosswalk in front of the Main Entrance. Using the crosswalk, monitored by a staff member or the school resource officer, students may enter through the Main Entrance. Students will wait in the Commons for the first bell at 7:10 AM, at which time they may proceed to their first period classes.

The second/tardy bell rings at 7:20 AM, at which time students should be in their classrooms to begin first period. Students will be considered tardy if not present in their first period classes at 7:20 AM.

We have two pick-up locations at afternoon dismissal.

1) The high school parking lot. Parents may pick up students by parking in the lot across

from the high school and meeting after students have been dismissed. Drivers should plan to be in the parking lot by 2:15 PM for pick-up. Dismissal time is 2:20 PM.

2) At the Main Entrance. Parents may also pick up students at the Main Entrance. If

arriving via Cleveland-Massillon Road, drivers picking up at the Main Entrance should plan to arrive after 2:25 PM. Those arriving earlier than 2:25 PM will be required to wait for buses to depart before proceeding to the Main Entrance to pick up students. Drivers will be stopped before the entrance to the teacher parking lot and remain there until buses depart.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions or concerns. Let’s have a fantastic year, and GO PANTHERS!

Rob Howerton

Assistant Principal, Norton HS

330.706.2702

rhowerton@nortonpanthers.org

Norton Middle School is excited for the upcoming school year as we transition to support students and families in grades four through seven. The custodial and maintenance staff have been working to prepare the classrooms and instructional spaces for teachers and students are on pace for the start of the school year.

We are proud to introduce Keziah Steurer (pronounced Key-za Stoy-er) as the new Norton Middle School Assistant Principal. Keziah, a Norton High School graduate, has 12 years of teaching experience in fourth and fifth grade at Nordonia Schools and has over 10 years experience as an administrator in Akron Public Schools.

Together, Mr. Sackett and Mrs. Steurer are preparing details for the upcoming school year and will be sharing more information as the school year approaches. Please do not hesitate to reach out to the administrators for support. Below are beginning of the year dates for your reference. Specific information for each event will be forthcoming.

2026-27 Beginning of Year Dates

• 8/13: 4th & 5th Grade PALS Day and Early Schedule Pick-Up, 4th 8AM-10AM; 5th 11AM-1PM (student only event)
• 8/17: 4th-5th Grade Open House and Schedule Pick-Up, 5PM-7PM
• 8/18: 6th-7th Grade Early Schedule Pick-Up, 8AM-10AM
• 8/18: 6th-7th Grade Open House and Schedule Pick-Up, 5PM-7PM
• 8/20 Students first day of school.

Norton Elementary School has been a hub of activity over the summer with the building consolidation and reorganization of the staff, which will be the new home for Preschool to Grade 3 students beginning with the 2026-2027 school year.

Mr. Morris and Ms. Hallock are looking forward to the start of an exciting school year and would like to welcome back all of the returning NES families along with new Preschool and Kindergarten families.

Important Back to School Dates

Open House Events

August 18 4-6 PM Open House Grades 1-3

August 19 5-7 PM Preschool Parent Night (Parents Only)

August 20 Preschool Orientation 10:00-11:00 AM Session and 1:30-2:30 PM Session (Parents and Students)

August 24 4-6 PM Kindergarten Open House

First Day of School

August 20 First Day of School Grades 1-3

August 20, 21, 24, and 25 Kindergarten Readiness Assessments- by appointment only at Grace Church Norton Campus. Please contact the school office in August if you need to schedule an appointment.

August 26 First Day of School for Kindergarten

Also, click here to access the supply lists for the 26-27 School Year and click here to access/update Final Forms.

The Norton Transportation Department is excited to welcome everyone back for the 2026-2027 school year! One of our favorite parts of a new school year is reconnecting with our students, seeing how much they have grown, and hearing about their summer adventures.

This year, we are pleased to welcome three new members to our transportation team. We are grateful to have them join us and know they will make a positive impact on our students and families.

As you know, Norton City Schools has implemented new grade-level building assignments for the 2026-2027 school year. We are excited for our youngest Panthers to begin their educational journey at Norton Elementary School, for our fourth-grade students to experience new opportunities at Norton Middle School, and for our eighth-grade students to join the Norton High School community.

Our transportation team has worked diligently throughout the summer to prepare for these changes. As a result, please note that bus routes, stop locations, and pick-up/drop-off times may be different from last school year.

To help families stay informed, Norton City Schools will be introducing the new E-Link transportation program. Once available, parents and guardians will be able to log in to view their student's bus stop location, pick-up time, and drop-off time. As with any new program, we have encountered a few implementation challenges. We anticipate launching E-Link in the near future and will send families detailed instructions on how to access the system as soon as it is ready. Thank you for your patience as we work to provide this valuable resource.

Big News! Meet Your Bus Driver Event

We are excited to introduce a new event this year, Meet Your Bus Driver event! While this event is designed primarily for families of students in Preschool through 3rd Grade, all Norton families are welcome to attend.

This is a great opportunity for students to meet their bus driver, ask transportation and bus safety questions, and tour a school bus before the first day of school. We hope this event helps students feel comfortable and confident as they begin the new school year.

Thursday, August 13, 2026

We look forward to seeing everyone soon and wish all of our students and families a safe, successful, and exciting school year!

• Aug 7-9 - Ohio Sales Tax Holiday
• Aug 20 - First Day of School (PreK, 1-12)
• Aug 26 - KG First Day of School
• Sept 7 - Labor Day No School

In the event that school is closed due to weather or other circumstances, information can be obtained in the following manner:

• 1st Priority (main methods of notification)
• School Messaging System - via text message
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nortoncityschoolsohio
  
• School website: https://www.nortonschools.org/
• 2nd Priority (may experience delays due to call volume)
  
• Television: Local Television Stations Channels 3, 5, 8
  
• School Messaging System - via phone
  

3163 Greenwich Road

Norton, OH 44203

Phone: 330.825.0863

Website: nortonschools.org

High School

Grades 8-12

330.825.7300

Middle School

Grades 4-7

330.825.5607

Elementary School

Grades PreK - 3

330.825.3828

330.706.2760